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WonderHaus
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Vacant for many years, the Wonder Bread building has undergone a major renovation and historic preservation through the vision and design direction of Graham Downes, Founder and Principal of Graham Downes Architecture Inc and BLOKHAUS INC, the design-build developer. Appropriately renamed the WonderHaus building, this icon of East Village, San Diego, consists of three contiguous historic warehouse structures and is the foremost landmark of the district.
The extensive project took over three years to complete due to unique challenges faced constructing the required improvements to the buildings, including complete seismic, life-safety and universal design upgrades, and assembly occupancy capacity enhancements, all while retaining the sites historic designation. Mr. Downes integrated numerous sustainable design elements including: retention of existing structure with raw, uncoated finishes; extensive utilization of natural light and ventilation throughout; siting in an urban environment in close proximity to basic services and public transportation; special glazing systems; modernizing mechanical and electrical utility components.
The renovation team went to great lengths to preserve the historical integrity of the building while recapturing its industrial aesthetic for new uses. The interior spaces are characterized by voluminous ceilings up to 45 feet high, generous use of natural light and skylights, original wood bowstring trusses, red brick, wood beams, raw steel and concrete. In one place the floor is inset with discarded antique manhole covers, a collection of the former developer, and massive round concrete bases that supported cylinders once used for grinding flour.
The 55,000-square-foot brick bakery building, designated as an historic structure in 2001, was originally built in 1924 and contains a 16-foot-diameter, 40-foot-tall steel silo where flour was siphoned from trucks to the rooftop of the silo. WonderHaus is now home to an eclectic mix of creative and innovative enterprises and is in high demand for its recently completed event space.
BLOKHAUS was founded by San Diego architect, Graham Downes AIA NCARB RIBA LEED AP, in 1998 for urban infill development projects and as a “think-tank” for undertaking special projects. These include the incubation, development and branding of unique businesses relating to progressive urban lifestyles. Downes is joined by Simon Terry-Lloyd LEED AP, an accomplished entrepreneur who focuses on management, new business opportunities and overall strategies for BLOKHAUS. The organization’s experience in urban redevelopment and revitalization primarily consist of adaptive re-use opportunities. More information about the building is available at www.wonderbreadhaus.com, the design firm at www.grahamdownes.com and the developer at www.blokhaus.com.